Meet Anna

29 November 2013

Today I have an Etsy shop highlight for you guys, and an interview with its creative owner, Anna!

Her shop, 2DayIChoose, is one of Flashback Summer's sponsors, and it is a mixture of jewelry and art made, most of it made with recycled/upcycled/vintage materials. Below you'll find some questions I asked to get to know Anna a bit more, and I interspersed some pictures of the amazing items in her shop!

She's also been kind enough to offer free shipping on any items in her shop until December 18th! (Christmas shopping!) If you'd like to take advantage of it, you can use the coupon code MERRY at checkout.

Words from Anna:

How do you feel about vintage style? (How did you connect with Flashback Summer?) Does it show up in your art or life?My dad is an antique dealer, so I grew up surrounded by vintage things. I love the style of the 30s and 40s. I incorporate vintage ephemera and images into my art and love finding these little paper treasures. One of my favorite finds was a WWII ration book with all the stamps. I am working on a portrait series inspired by photographs of women from the 20s and 30s now and am always on the lookout for vintage photos of women doing daring deeds.

Tell me about yourself.

I am a mom with two daughters under five. I've been married for ten years. I love all kinds of creative activities, and what I am working on changes with my mood and the seasons. I do a lot of work online and in Photoshop, but I get the most enjoyment from creating with my hands. I love to paint and roll clay and just generally make a big mess.

How would you describe your artistic style?

I am drawn to images that have a sketchy, whimsical feel. I use a lot of bright, playful colors, and there are almost always pops of red. Most of my canvas work ends up being heavily layered. My watercolors are simpler, but still have many layers and paint and pen work.

Where does the inspiration for your art come from?Right now I am inspired by the dark fantasy feel of deep woods, vintage circus images, and fairy tales.

What does your work space look like?It tends toward chaos. I am fortunate enough to have a small office in my home, but I usually bring my supplies out and work in my living room so I can keep an eye on the girls. I clean up about once a month or when the top of my desk disappears, whichever comes first.

Does your art connect to/ express your life in some way? If so, how?I feel like my art is an escape from my life. It allows me to open a door into another world and gives me a reason to dream up silliness.

Isn't this bracelet adorable?!

Why did you start an Etsy shop? Are there any obstacles you've had to overcome/ are overcoming?I started my Etsy shop because I was making more jewelry than I could possibly wear-I needed to fund my habit! One obstacle when I was building my shop was deciding what to include. Etsy is such a saturated marketplace that it can be difficult to create a product that is truly unique. As a crafty person there are many things that I 'could' make. The challenge has been finding items that I want to spend my time making and that will produce a profit.

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About Me

Hey there! My name is Emileigh, and welcome to Flashback Summer, a vintage lifestyle blog with an intercultural twist! I'm an "old soul" in a twenty-something's body, and I adore exploring cultures, sewing, history, controversial subjects, Nutella, the Air Force, traveling, and learning new things. Feel free to stay a bit and look around!